It took more than a century for images to slowly develop into motion-pictures. While the first motion pictures with sound came about in the 1920s, it took another three decades for television to become the primary source of commercial entertainment. From then on, TV has been the most common video platform. It uses satellites or fibre optic cables to transmit the content. With the onset of internet and affordable technologies like smartphones, video-based entertainment has become mobile and on the go.
What is cloud-based video broadcasting?
Cloud technology allows a user to store and process data without having to have separate hardware for storage and processing. Instead, what you need is an internet connection that enables you to access the data. After this technology came in the 1960s, it was used by big companies to do computing much more comfortably. It played a vital role in the growth of the IT sector. In the past few years, we also saw cloud technology being used for video streaming for entertainment.
YouTube is the best example of cloud based video broadcasting. We can watch a large amount of video content anywhere in the world with the internet because of cloud technology. More than 30 million people visit YouTube every day, and 50 billion videos get streamed per day. And this is only growing.
Process of cloud-based broadcasts
The cloud software does not just act as a medium of transmission like the satellite or cable does. It can be used for uploading, editing, storing, transmitting, viewing, and interacting. Cloud based broadcast involves a process of production before the end-user gets to see the video. It starts with uploading content into the cloud. Then the video is encoded to be able to adapt to different devices, and ads are inserted if needed. If the video content is not free, then it needs to be protected to ensure only subscribed users can watch it. Once all this is done, it is delivered to the consumer.
When it comes to live streaming, the process stops at uploading the content, which is directly viewed by the consumers.
Benefits of cloud-based video production
The cloud-based video production provides many benefits to the video broadcaster. It allows reducing the cost of having big servers and other hardware needed to broadcast to large crowds. Take the example of a live sports event that people watch in millions. The channels would get more than ten times its usual number of streaming and would need to invest in the required servers, which they will not need year-around. With the cloud technology, you can avoid that expense.
Due to its low cost and far reach, it allows both big and small businesses to connect with their customers on a personal level. They can also get real-time feedback. It enables high-quality videos to be streamed at ease.
Benefits to the end-user
With cloud based video broadcasting, the end-user no longer has to sit in one place for entertainment. They can watch video content on-the-go and. It is no longer necessary to pay in bulk for the channels that are mostly never watched. Consumers can pay only for the content they want to watch. It has made the video streaming experience much more interactive.
It is possible that soon the cloud technology will completely replace cable television. Already we have smart TV sets that enable users to see both cable TV and stream online content. With low production costs, more people can enter the industry of video entertainment. For advertisers, too, it will prove to be an advantageous means for targeted advertisements.
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